underground

English Online Dictionary. What means underground‎? What does underground mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English undergrounde (adverb), equivalent to under +‎ ground. Compare Dutch ondergrond, ondergronds, German Untergrund, Danish undergrunds.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌʌndəˈɡɹaʊnd/, (especially for the noun) /ˈʌndəɡɹaʊnd/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌʌndɚˈɡɹaʊnd/, (especially for the noun) /ˈʌndɚɡɹaʊnd/
• Rhymes: -aʊnd
• Hyphenation: un‧der‧ground

Adjective

underground (comparative more underground, superlative most underground)

1. (not comparable) Below the ground; below the surface of the Earth.

   Synonyms: subterranean, hypogean
2. (figurative) Hidden, furtive, secretive.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:hidden, Thesaurus:covert

3. (of music, art etc.) Outside the mainstream, especially unofficial and hidden from the authorities.

   Synonyms: unconventional, alternative

   Antonym: mainstream

Translations

Adverb

underground (comparative more underground, superlative most underground)

1. Below the ground.

   Synonym: below ground

2. Secretly.

   Synonyms: clandestinely, in secret, on the quiet

Translations

Noun

underground (plural undergrounds)

1. (geography) Regions beneath the surface of the earth, both natural (eg. caves) and man-made (eg. mines).
2. (chiefly Britain) Synonym of subway: a railway that is under the ground.

3. (with definite article) A movement or organisation of people who resist political convention.

   Synonym: resistance
4. (with definite article) A movement or organisation of people who resist artistic convention.

   Synonyms: avant-garde, counterculture

Translations

Verb

underground (third-person singular simple present undergrounds, present participle undergrounding, simple past and past participle undergrounded)

1. To route electricity distribution cables underground.

Translations

See also

• underground railway
• go underground

Finnish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English underground.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑnder.ɡrɑund/, [ˈɑ̝nde̞rˌɡrɑ̝und]

Noun

underground

1. underground (culture)

Declension

Compounds

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English underground.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /œ̃.dɛʁ.ɡʁawnd/

Adjective

underground (invariable)

1. underground (outside the mainstream)

Noun

underground m (uncountable)

1. (singular only) the underground (people who resist artistic convention)

Further reading

• “underground”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English underground.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /an.derˈɡrawnd/
• Rhymes: -awnd

Noun

l'underground m (invariable)

1. the underground (people who resist artistic convention)

References

Romanian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English underground.

Adjective

underground m or f or n (indeclinable)

1. underground

Declension

Spanish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English underground.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /andeɾˈɡɾaund/ [ãn̪.d̪eɾˈɣ̞ɾãũn̪d̪]
• Rhymes: -aund

Noun

underground m (plural undergrounds)

1. underground (movement)

Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Further reading

• “underground”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014